Julie (and Ginny),
Here are the specs on 71 Irving Place
Address:
71 Irving Pl (between 18th and 19th Streets)
New York, NY
10003-2220
Phone: (212) 995-5252
Hours:
* Mon-Thu 7am-11pm
* Fri 7am-12am
* Sat 8am-12am
* Sun 8am-11pm
It is right next to Friend of a Farmer, a wonderful place for brunch or dinner. It's the ground floor of an old brownstone which, according to this reference on the Web, was converted to "furnished rooms" in the early 20th Century.
Nos. 65 and 71 Irving Place are two survivors from a row of four late Greek Revival houses that once also included Nos. 67 and 69 Irving Place. The facades of these simple but well-proportioned brick buildings are articulated by crisp rectilinear openings that become smaller on each successive floor. at the rooflines are projecting cornices. At No. 65, the stoop was removed and the first floor and basement converted for commercial use in 1914 by architect Harriston G. Wiseman. No. 71 retains much of its original form, including its stoop. In the early 20th century the house was converted into furnished rooms. Residents included George Axelrod, author of the Broadway hit The Seven Year Itch, and the prominent Socialist, Norman Thomas.I, like Noel, love the neighborhood. It's like stepping back in time to walk on Irving Place. I recently finished reading the Jack Finney book, Time and Again (which our own FJL's Skip musicalized) and much of it takes place in a brownstone on 19th and Irving Place. The entire neighborhood, including
The Players Clubat 16 Gramercy Park is so special. Walking there on a quiet spring morning or a snowy afternoon, with the flakes drifting down into Gramercy Park is just lovely.